The roof of the new Roker Pier tunnel entrance is moved into place in Sunderland (Image: Newcastle Journal)

He added: “It’s always been one of Sunderland’s best loved landmarks and I know people have been looking forward to its reopening.

“The pier was built to defend the harbour and it has done that job magnificently for more than a hundred years.”

Works to the pier included replacing more than 800 metres of modern railings with historic replicas; 1,600 metres of bottom mesh panels with a low level rail; and repairing and repainting 800 metres of railings.

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And next the lighthouse will open to the public when a new entrance to a tunnel which originally housed the lighthouse’s gas supply is installed.

Coun Speding added: “We’re now looking forward to cracking on with the completing of the new entrance to the tunnel so we can open it and the lighthouse to the public for the first time in their history in the spring.

The roof of the new Roker Pier tunnel entrance is moved into place in Sunderland (Image: Newcastle Journal)

“There’s been an enormous amount of enthusiasm around plans to open the tunnel and lighthouse to public tours and it’s really exciting to be getting closer to making that happen.”

The tunnel originally housed the gas pipes which ran the length of the pier and helped power the engines of the huge crane ‘Goliath’ which was used in its construction.